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A New England pioneer : "The 
captivity of Mrs. Johnson" 





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“THE CAPTIVITY OF MRS. JOHNSON” 





The Story of her Life with an Account of her 
Capture and Experiences during four years 
with the French and Indians, 1746-1750; 
in part as written by her and in part 
as condensed by 


MARY M. BILLINGS FRENCH 


Illustrated with Photographs by 
CLARA E. SIPPRELL 


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THE ELM TREE PRESS WOODSTOCK VERMONT 





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ILLUSTRATIONS 


Map of the Region Facing title page 
Where the Child was Born 5 
The Connecticut near Charlestown 9 
The Black River 13 
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The Otter Creek Rapids 21 
The East Bay of Lake Champlain bape 
Mrs. Johnson’s Resting Place 3S 


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INTRODUCTION 


One of the rarest and most thrilling of early 
American pioneer records is “A NARRATIVE OF 
THE CAPTIVITY OF MRS. JOHNSON, containing 
an account of her sufferings during four years with 
the Indians and French.” The first edition was 
published in 1796 at Walpole, New Hampshire. A 
second edition of 1807 was “corrected and enlarged.” 
In 1814 a third edition was published “together with 
an appendix, sermons preached at her funeral and 
that of her mother, with sundry other interesting 
articles.” So remarkable was the story that at least 
two other editions were printed in America in 1834 
and 1841 and two in England in 1797 and 1802. In 
1907 the book was reissued as a part of the Indian 
Captives Series. 

Mary M. Billings French, who is the great- 
great-great-granddaughter of Mrs. Johnson, the 
heroine of the story, has prepared the narrative 
which follows, in part presenting it as originally 
written by Mrs. Johnson. 

The Algonquins and the Iroquois were rival 
native confederations at the beginning of the 
eighteenth century. One of the sub-divisions of the 
Algonquins was called Abnakis, at other times called 
Waubaneekees or St. Francis Indians. They were 
friendly to the French with whom they had alliances. 


Vili A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


It was their chief, Grey Lock, after whom the high- 
est mountain in Massachusetts was named, who was 
the “scourge of the English settlements.” What is 
now Vermont was used by the Abnakis as their beav- 
ér hunting ground and fishing place, but mostly as 
their thoroughfare. They left some picture writing 
near Bellows Falls, a few relics, some trails, many 
names, scattered graves, and pitiful stories of grew- 
some massacres. Mr. Rowland Robinson, Vermont’s 
best historian and prose writer, says that all the 
Indian names of Vermont lakes and rivers are 
Algonquin. Most of the available information 
names the Algonquins, or more particularly the 
Abnakis, as the Indians who ravaged the settlements 
in the Connecticut River valley. Mrs. Jemima 
Howe and her seven children were taken from Ver- 
non, Vermont, on June 27, 1755, by Missisquoi 
Indians who were Abnakis. It was probably the 
same tribe who on August 30, 1754, attacked 
Number four. 

The pioneer had come into an unbroken forest, 
making his little clearing and building his log hut, 
where the only sound was the blow of his axe, the 
howl of the wolves, the song of the bird and the 
sough of the wind in the trees. Few dared to live 
far from well fortified forts. Mr. Walter Hill 
Crockett devotes the entire third chapter of his 
History of Vermont to the Indian occupation, when 
life was constantly threatened with “the war whoop 
at mid-night, the torch and the tomahawk, the cruel 
journeys over rough mountain trails, and the fear 
of attack or ambush.” Some of these dangers per- 
sisted even after the Revolutionary War. 


A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER ix 


The story of Mrs. Johnson’s captivity is one of 
the few surviving written accounts of the penalties 
pioneer adventure had to pay for the privilege of 
its liberty. The wonder is that Mrs. Johnson ever 
survived to tell the story. An equal wonder is that 
she could tell it so well. In her diary we have not 
just the customary legends which often accumulate 
details in subsequent years, but the verified account 
of actual events. Mr. Horace W. Bailey says: 
“These stories of Indian raids are historical gems, 
actuated by a spirit of thankfulness and gratitude 
to Almighty God for remarkable deliverances; with 
an unclouded view of conditions in a military post 
and a new settlement on the extreme frontier. The 
story of Mrs. Johnson uncovers the Indian trail 
into Canada, discloses aboriginal habits and mode 
of life and warfare.” 

The long original diary written by Mrs. Johnson 
twenty-five years after her capture is made the 
center of the following story. No important de- 
tails have been omitted. The “historical gem” has 
just been polished a little, and cut down to better 
size that its facets may shine more brilliantly. 

Our heritage of privilege and liberty looms 
large as we read of how these families were “hur- 
ried through thorny thickets in an unmerciful man- 
ner,” when “gloomy fear imposed a deadly silence,” 
and death seemed inevitable. The descriptions of 
how they were kept alive on snake-root broth, the 
new-born babe nourished on the juice of horse flesh, 
and how the tear of woe moistened the sickened 
cheek of every prisoner is followed, not by bitter 
complaints, but by gratitude “to the Author of all 


x A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


blessings”, and the claim that they were the “fav- 
orites of fortune”. “Let us not complain” was their 
only warning. How strange all this story seems 
to us who love these same valleys in which these 
events took place. How far away they seem in 
the face of our unbroken peace. 

“The savages are driven beyond the lakes, and 
our country has no enemies. The gloomy wilder- 
ness that secreted the Indians and the beast of prey, 
has vanished away; and the thrifty farm smiles in 
its stead; the tomahawk and the scalping-knife have 
given place to the plow-share and the sickle’. Be- 
cause Mrs. Johnson could write such sentences from 
her own observation she believed “no one can set a 
higher value on the smiles of peace, than myself”. 
But we should also know the price of our peace, and 
one way to come into its appreciation, is by an under- 
standing of such facts, of its origin, as are told in 
the following story. 

HERBERT H. HINES 


Woodstock Vermont 
August 10 1926 


A New England Pioneer 











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A New England Pioneer 


So much has recently been written about the 
struggles of the pioneers of the West, and so vividly 
have the motion pictures shown the difficulties and 
the perils of the pack trains as they wound their 
way across the continent in those early days, that 
perhaps for the moment we have forgotten that the 
settlement of Northern New England was fraught 
with comparable danger. 

For two centuries the valley of the Connecticut 
River and the Lake Champlain region were Indian 
highways, where attacks were made by the French 
and Algonquins on the North, with counter attacks 
by the English and Iroquois on the South. Here 
are to be found accounts of wanton cruelty, of the 
burning and pillaging of homes, of the capture and 
often the savage murder of helpless women and 
children. 

At the close of the year 1636 there were settle- 
ments as far north as Hartford, Connecticut and 
Springfield, Massachusetts, comprising perhaps a 
total population of a thousand persons. Then from 
time to time, adventurous souls pushed on up both 
sides of the Connecticut into the wilds, often only 
to be driven back to the more populous and better 
fortified settlements. 


NUMBER Four 
By 1740 a few families: had struggled on to a 
place which is now Charlestown, New Hampshire, 
then known as “Number 4”, which was for fourteen 


2 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


years the most northerly white settlement in the 
Connecticut Valley. 

In 1744 the building of a fort in “Number 4” 
was begun and that same year an ancestress of the 
writer of this paper, Susanna Willard, at the age 
of fourteen, describes a visit she made to her par- 
ents, who had moved to this outpost of civilization 
two years before. She does not state why she had 
been left behind, perhaps to go to school. At all 
events, she says her journey began at Leominster, 
and from the map, it would seem that she had to 
travel a distance of sixty miles. She does not say 
whether the journey was made on foot or on horse- 
back, but it must have been by one means or the 
other, for she tells us that marked trees were their 
guides as they cautiously picked their way through 
gloomy forest and only a few solitary inhabitants 
were passed. 

The first object to be seen when she reached 
“Number 4” was a party of Indians, holding a war 
dance, their spirits having been raised by a keg of 
rum. At this time this settlement was composed of 
nine or ten families, who lived in huts not far 
apart. The Indians in this region were then num- 
erous and friendly. During her visit the erection 
of a saw mill was celebrated by a party and the 
first boards sawed were used for a dance. 


Notices OF Mr. JAMES JOHNSON 
In three years this girl visitor married. We 
wish she had told us how long she tarried in “Num- 
ber 4” and something about her courtship, but that 
is all left to our imagination. We are glad however 


A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 3 


that we have some information about the man she 
married. It seems that in 1730 Colonel Josiah Wil- 
lard, an uncle of Susanna, was in Boston, and one 
day went to the wharf to see some transports that 
had just landed from Ireland. He found a group of 
gentlemen who were looking at some lads, who had 
been placed on shore in order that they might ex- 
hibit their activity to those who wished to purchase. 
Colonel Willard noticed particularly a boy about ten 
years old. He was the only one of the crew who 
spoke English and he bargained for him. In telling 
about this event, the future wife of this lad wrote: 
“T have never been able to learn the price, but as he 
was afterward my husband, I am willing to suppose 
it was a considerable sum.” The boy was questioned 
about his parentage and descent but all the informa- 
tion secured was that young James Johnson a con- 
siderable time previous went to sea with his uncle 
who commanded a ship and had the appearance of 
a man of property; that his uncle was taken sick 
and died; and that immediately after his death they 
came in sight of this ship of Irish transports and 
the boy was put on board. Because he was the only 
one of the crew who spoke English and because of 
other circumstances, his friends became convinced 
that the removal of the boy to the Irish ship was to 
facilitate the sequestration of his property. He lived 
with Colonel Willard until he was twenty years old 
and then he bought the remaining year of his time. 
In 1747 at the age of about twenty-nine, he married, 
and the following year Governor Shirley gave him 
a lieutenant’s commission under Edward Hartwell, 
Esquire. 


4 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


The two years previous to this marriage were 
critical times for the inhabitants of “Number 4.” 
There were constant raids by the Indians, prisoners 
were taken, several were killed outright. At last 
fatigued with watching, and weary of the dangers 
of the forest, the town was deserted in the fall of 
1746. 

Six months later Colonel Phineas Stevens with 
thirty men returned to the fort which also had been 
deserted and found it uninjured and in good condi- 
tion. An old spaniel and a cat had guarded it safe- 
ly through the winter and gave the soldiers a hearty 
welcome. 

A few days after the fort had been taken over 
by Captain Stevens and his troops, a furious attack 
was made by 300 French and Indians. The battle 
lasted for five days. Every stratagem possible was 
practiced by the enemy to reduce the garrison but 
to no avail and at the end of the fifth day the enemy 
retreated. 

An express was at once sent to Boston with the 
tidings, and Governor Charles Knowles rewarded 
Captain Stevens with a handsome sword, and in 
gratitude for his kindness the town was named 
Charlestown. 

In a few months Captain Stevens was joined by 
his family and the record states he encouraged the 
settlers by his fortitude and industry. 


CHARLESTOWN 
The following year, when James Johnson and 
Susanna Willard had been married two years (we 
are not sure where that time was spent, but it was 





PHOTOGBAPH BY CLARA E. SIPPRELL 


WHERE THE CHILD WAS BORN 


Here and there, surrounded by the smiling loveliness of Vermont 

farm lands, wilderness still exists. Time has gone by without chang- 

ing the spot where, by the side of the stony brook, Captive Johnson 
was born 172 years ago (1754) 


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A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER a 


probably in Leominister), she writes that her 
husband’s enterprising spirit made him wish to re- 
move to Charlestown. So they undertook the hazard- 
ous, fatiguing journey. They arrived safe at the fort 
and found there five families who had been equally 
venturesome. Two or three days after their arrival, 
information was received of the cessation of war be- 
tween Great Britain and France. Orders were re- 
ceived from Massachusetts that the troops were to 
be withdrawn from Charlestown. 

The enemy must have had advance information 
of the plan to evacuate, for the very day the soldiers 
left, the Indians appeared, shot Ensign Sartwell, who 
unsuspicious of danger was harrowing corn, and 
took the boy who was with him prisoner. Only 
seven women and four men were left in the fort. 
The father and brother of Mrs. Johnson were in 
the meadow and hearing the guns supposed the fort 
had been destroyed and fled to secure aid. 

Her husband had gone to Northfield and was 
able to get back in two days with five or six others. 
A post was dispatched to Boston to carry the news 
of the attack, but it was ten days before the sentry 
cried out that troops were coming. Great was the 
relief of all concerned when those of their number 
who had been missing, including both father and 
brother, were found to be with the troops. This was 
the last time the frontiers suffered during the Cape 
Breton War. 

For the next three years the settlers lived most 
of the time in the fort, going out from there to 
cultivate the fields; but as is quaintly said, “Not 
much confidence was placed in the Savages.” 


8 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


THE SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY 


As peace continued, the enmity of the Indians 
gradually seemed to disappear. They evidenced a 
desire for friendly intercourse and came to traffic 
in furs and to trade for blankets, etc. Every ap- 
pearance of hostility at length vanished and it 
seemed safe to move to the farms not far distant 
from the fort. Settlements increased with tolerable 
rapidity and the new country began to assume the 
appearance of civilization. The year 1753 was all 
harmony and safety. 

But very early in the following year a rupture 
between the French and the English seemed likely. 
The disputed boundary line between Canada and the 
English Colonies being the cause of trouble, the 
frontier towns were in a perilous position. War 
however was not immediately expected and Mrs. 
Johnson wrote that her husband felt he could risk 
a business trip to Connecticut. He set out the last 
day of May and the three months he was gone were 
full of anxious forebodings for those left behind. 
The Indians were reported to be on a march of de- 
struction. The terrors that were experienced 
especially at night were horrible beyond descrip- 
tion. And during the day every one treaded 
cautiously by hedge and hillock, lest some secreted 
savage might start forth to take his scalp. Their 
gloomy fears were soon confirmed by the news of 
the capture of a family on Merrimac River. Their 
imaginations now saw and heard a_ thousand 
Indians. 

On the twenty-fourth of August, the Connecti- 
cut traveler returned with reports that a war was 





PHOTOGRAPH BY CLARA E, SIPPRELL 


THE CONNECTICUT NEAR CHARLESTOWN 


A peaceful, quiet, beautiful river slowly winding its way between 
pastures and wooded hills of Vermont and New Hampshire, once 
a great Indian highway. It was along this stretch that the Indians 
dragged their prisoners on the morning of the capture, and it was 
probably this island, known then as Wilcott Island, that they used 
as a convenient stopover in crossing the river on improvised rafts 


















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A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 11 


expected in the spring, but that no immediate danger 
was contemplated. Preparations were therefore 
made to remove to Northfield as soon as the hay 
had been consumed and the pigs fattened on an 
ample stock of grain. 


THE DIARY OF THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE 
WILDERNESS 


Frequent parties were given to celebrate the re- 
turn of the traveler and on the evening of August 
twenty-ninth the neighbors assembled and spent the 
time very cheerfully with watermelon and flip until 
midnight. Little did they then realize what days of 
horror were to follow. Their experiences can best 
be described in the words of Mrs. Johnson. “We 
rested with fine composure till daybreak when we 
were roused by neighbor Labaree knocking at the 
door. He had shouldered his ax to do a day’s work 
for my husband. My husband opened the door. 
“Indians, Indians” were the first words I heard. In 
an instant a crowd of savages fixed horribly for 
war rushed furiously in. I screamed and begged 
my friends to ask for quarter. By this time they 
were all over the house, some upstairs, some haul- 
ing my sister Miriam out of bed, another had hold 
of me and one was approaching my husband, who 
stood in the middle of the floor to deliver himself 
up, but the Indian, supposing he would make re- 
sistance, and be more than his match went to the 
door and brought three of his comrades and the 
four bound him. I was led to the door fainting and 
trembling. There stood my friend Labaree, bound,— 
Ebenezer Farnsworth whom they found up chamber, 


ib A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


they were putting in the same situation and to com- 
plete the shocking scene, my three little children, 
Sylvanus, six years old, Susanna, age four, and Polly, 
two years old, were driven naked to the place where 
I stood. 

“After what little plunder their hurry would al- 
low them to get, was confusedly bundled up, we 
were ordered to march. Two savages laid hold of 
each of my arms, and hurried me through thorny 
thickets in a most unmerciful manner. I lost a 
shoe and suffered exceedingly. My little children 
were crying, my husband and the two other men 
were bound and my sister and myself were obliged 
to make the best of our way with all our might. 
The loss of my shoe rendered travelling extremely 
painful. At the distance of three miles there was 
a general halt; the savages supposing that we, as 
well as themselves, might have an appetite for 
breakfast, gave us a loaf of bread, some raisins 
and apples which they had taken from the house. 
While we were forcing down our scanty breakfast, 
a horse came in sight, known to all by the name of 
Scoggin. One of the Indians attempted to shoot 
him, but was prevented. They then expressed a 
wish to catch him saying by pointing to me “for 
Squaw to ride.” My husband had been unbound to 
assist with the children; he with two Indians caught 
the horse on the bank of the river. By this time 
my legs and feet were covered with blood and the 
Indians gave me a pair of Moggasons. Bags and 
blankets were thrown over Scoggin and I mounted 
on the top of them and on we jogged for about 
seven miles, to the upper end of Wilcott’s Island. 





PHOTOGRAPH BY CLARA E. SIPPRELL 


THE BLACK RIVER 


Typical of the country traversed by the Indians and their prisoners 
is this picture of Black River, on the banks of which they camped 
on the third day of their journey. In the background are the mount- 
ains that they had to cross on the fourth and fifth days before they 
reached “the waters that ran into Lake Champlain” 










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A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 15 


We then halted and prepared to cross the river; 
rafts were made of dry timber; two Indians and 
Farnsworth crossed first, Labaree, by signs, got 
permission to swim the horse; my husband was al- 
lowed to swim by the raft, that I was on, to push 
it along. We all arrived safe on the opposite shore, 
a fire was kindled and some of the stolen kettles 
were hung over it and filled with porridge. The 
savages took delight in viewing the spoil which 
amounted to forty or fifty pounds in value. Our 
tarry in this place lasted an hour. Then the 
Indians pronounced the dreadful word ‘‘munch” 
(march) and on we must go. We went six or eight 
miles and stopped for the night. The men were 
made secure by having their legs put in slit sticks, 
somewhat like stocks and tied with cords, which 
were tied to the limbs of trees too high to be reach- 
ed. My sister, Miriam, much to her mortification 
must lie between two Indians, with a cord thrown 
over her and passing under each of them; the little 
children had blankets and I was allowed one for 
my use. Thus we took lodging for the night with 
the sky for a covering and the ground for a pillow. 
In the morning we were roused before sunrise, the 
Indians struck up a fire and made us some water 
gruel. After a few sips, I was again put on the 
horse, with my husband by my side to hold me on. 

“It soon became imperative to call a halt on my 
account. The Indians showed humanity by making 
a booth for me and at about ten o’clock a baby 
daughter was born. ‘They then brought me some 
articles of clothing for the child, which they had 
taken from the house. My master looked into the 


16 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


booth, and clapped his hands with joy, crying “two 
monies for me, two monies for me.” I was permit- 
ted to rest the remainder of the day. The Indians 
were employed in making a bier for the prisoners 
to carry me on, and another booth for my lodging 
during the night. They brought a needle and two 
pins and some bark to tie the child’s clothes. At 
dusk they made some porridge and johnny cakes, 
my portion was brought me in a little bark. In 
the morning we were summoned for the journey. 
I with my infant in arms, was laid on the litter, 
which was supported alternately by my husband, La- 
baree, and Farnsworth. My sister and son were put 
upon Scoggin and the two little girls rode on their 
masters’ backs. Thus we proceeded two miles, when 
my carriers grew too faint to proceed any further. 
This being observed, a general halt was called for 
council. My Indian master soon made signs to Mr. 
Johnson that if I could ride on the horse, I might 
proceed, otherwise I must be left behind. Here I 
observed marks of pity on his countenance but this 
might arise from fear of losing his two monies. I 
preferred to attempt to ride on the horse, rather 
than to perish miserably alone. My weakness was 
too severe to allow me to sit on the horse long at 
a time. Every hour I was taken off and laid on 
the ground to rest. 

“On the fifth day the Indians sent out two or 
three hunting parties, who returned without game. 
Our last morsel of meal had been consumed. Hunger 
with all its horrors looked us earnestly in the face. 
Before dark we halted; a plan to relieve their 
hunger was decided on by the Indians and Scoggin 





PHOTOGRAPH BY CLARA E. SIPPRELL 


THE BEAVER POND 


This is one of many small ponds that are found on the Otter Creek 

and its branches in the region crossed by the party of prisoners in 

1754. It may be the very pond that Mrs. Johnson was forced to 

wade on the sixth day after her child was born and in the middle 
of which she fainted from cold and exhaustion 


7 i “at > an 
ea 44 ts « 
, RTS URS) 1 
i Ol Y sh "AY ; 
ai ie 
(>) ekG ee 
Au 
ae 
A] 4 
} } 
i 


: 


a tay 
; vii PY 
Ypres 
4 


ee See 


WN ba 
} ( | ie ithe x ye ihe Al , bay nh aM 
: vit Waa ots Mel.) RN ira 
Pana We! 
aed tits ie A oe} 


' 
i 
be 





A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 19 


was shot. His flesh was in a few moments broil- 
ing on the embers. 

“On the morning of the sixth day, the war whoop 
was sounded and we began to fix for a march; my 
fate was unknown till my master brought some 
bark and tied my petticoats as high as he supposed 
would be convenient for walking and ordered me to 
“munch.” With scarce strength to stand alone, I 
went on for half a mile. My power to move then 
failed, the world grew dark and I dropped down. 
A council was held and a pack-saddle was made 
for my conveyance on the back of my husband, who 
took me up and we marched in that form the rest 
of the day. After supper my booth was built as 
usual and I reposed much better than I had the 
preceding nights. In the morning (the seventh 
day) I found myself greatly restored. I “munched” 
in the rear till we came to a beaver pond. Here I 
was obliged to wade; when half way over, up to 
the middle in cold water, my little strength failed 
and my power to speak or see left me. While motion- 
less, and stiffened in the middle of the pond, I was 
perceived from the other side by my husband who 
laid down the infant and came to my assistance; he 
took me in his arms and when the opposite shore 
was gained, life had apparently forsaken me. The 
whole company stopped, a fire was built, my 
strength was restored by degrees and in two hours 
I was told to “munch.” The rest of the day I was 
carried by my husband. In the middle of the after- 
noon, we arrived on the banks of one of the great 
branches of Otter Creek. The river was very rapid 
and passing dangerous. Mr. Labaree when half 


20 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


over with my child was tripped up by its rapidity 
and lost the babe in the water; little did I expect 
to see the poor thing again but Mr. Labaree fortunat- 
ly reached a corner of its blanket and saved its 
life. The rest of us got safe to the other shore, 
another fire was built and my sister dried the in- 
fant and its clothes. 

“The eighth day Mr. Johnson took me on the 
pack saddle and we resumed our march. That 
night was terrible with thunder, lightning, and 
rain; the cold earth to lie on and no cover over our 
heads. 

“We had not proceeded far the next day (the 
ninth) when the Indians signified to us that we 
should arrive before night at East Bay on Lake 
Champlain. This was a cordial to our drooping 
spirits and caused an immediate transition from de- 
spair to joy. The idea of arriving at a place of 
water-carriage translated us to new life. 

“My son Sylvanus, six years old, had walked 
barefoot the whole journey. My two little girls 
with only their shirts and part of one of the three 
gowns which the Indians gave me were subject to 
all the damps of morn and night and Mr. Johnson’s 
situation was pitiably painful. The fatigue of car- 
rying me on the wearying pack saddle had rendered 
his emaciated body almost a corpse and his sore 
feet made him a cripple. My sister Miriam, owing 
to her youth and health, suffered least. She was 
only fourteen years old. 

“About the middle of the afternoon the waters 
of the Lake were seen. Here we were to take pass- 
age in boats and find relief from thorny hills and 





PHOTOGRAPH BY CLARA E,. SIPPRELL 


THE OTTER CREEK RAPIDS 


Some of the water power that years ago tripped kind Mr. Labarree 

and nearly carried away the newly born Johnson infant has been 

since captured by civilization and most of the Otter Creek rapids 

have been marred by mills and power stations. But here and there 

a wild, untouched spot remains, where the rushing stream carries 

us back to the time when little Captive was nearly drowned in 
its foam 





Si 


ah vis 
! 


aie 


d 






ea 









a | Ne A 
ita a OES P ANOS Ue aaa ole 
; ( ? ’ 

0 >) i nf =; y 

j i wat \ 

= ‘| ‘wea 

\ 
A i h j ih 
i , ’ ‘tn ‘ 
Need i 
yas 
, = 
i i 
¥ a 1 
ray : i Ay bie teak an 
* aK “ =f gre) - > AS ies ey th i? 
‘ * 
at ah 
; i 
( ;' fi 
¢ 
et 7 
ix 4 

{ied 


A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 2S 


miry swamps. Twelve hours sailing would waft us 
to the settlements of civilized Frenchmen. 

“When we reached Crown Point, each prisoner 
was led by his master to the residence of the French 
Commander. We were ordered to his apartment, 
and used with that hospitality which characterizes 
the best of the nation. We had brandy in profu- 
sion, a good dinner and a change of linen. I had 
a nurse who in great measure restored my exhaust- 
ed strength. children were all decently clothed 
and my infant ‘in particular. The first day, while 
I was taking a nap, they dressed it so fantastically, 
a la France, that I refused to own it, not guessing 
that I was the mother of such a strange thing. 

“A respite of only three days was allowed us and 
then we were again delivered to the Indians, who 
led us to the water side, where we all embarked 
in one vessel for St. Johns, where we arrived after 
a disagreeable voyage of three days. We had now 
come to within a few miles of St. Francis, where 
our Indian Masters belonged. The settlement of 
St. Francis consisted of about thirty wigwams and 
a church, in which mass was held every night and 
morning. My fellow prisoners were dispersed over 
the town. I found myself with my infant in a 
large wigwam with two or three warriors and as 
many squaws. When the hour for sleep came, I 
was pointed to a platform raised half a yard, where 
upon a board covered with a blanket, I was to spend 
the night. 

“Mr. Johnson was only allowed to stay a few 
days in St. Francis and then he was carried to 


24 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


Montreal to be sold. My two daughters were soon 
after taken to the same place. 

“My Indian master being a hunter wished my 
son to attend him on his excursions. He therefore 
arranged for an exchange of prisoners. The ex- 
change was made with great formality. My son 
and blankets being an equivalent for myself, child 
and wampum. I was then taken to the house of 
my new master and found myself allied to the first 
family. My master was son in law to the Grand 
Sachem. On my arrival at his wigwam, an in- 
terpreter informed me that I was adopted into his 
family. I was then introduced to the family and 
was told to call them brothers and sisters. I made 
a short reply, expressive of my gratitude at being 
introduced to a house of such high rank, and re- 
quested their patience until I could learn the cus- 
toms of the nation. 

“My time now was solitary beyond description ; 
my new sisters and brothers treated me with the 
same attention that they did their natural kindred, 
but it was an unnatural situation to me. I was a 
novice at making canoes, bunks and tumplines, which 
was the only occupation of the squaws; of course 
idleness was among my calamities. The uneasiness 
occasioned by indolence was in some measure re- 
lieved by the privilege of making shirts for my 
“brother.” At night and morn I was allowed to 
milk the cows. The rest of the time, I strolled 
gloomily about, looking sometimes into an unsocia- 
ble wigwam, at others sauntering into the bushes 
and walking on the banks of brooks. Once I went 
with a party to fish, accompanied by a number of 





PHOTOGRAPH BY CLARA E. SIPPRELL 


THE EAST BAY OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN 


Time has changed the character of the country, but the sky, the dis- 
tant mountains, the quiet blue waters of Lake Champlain set in a 
frame of dark hemlocks and golden red foliage, were the same in 
September, 1926, as on the day when Mrs. Johnson and her fel- 
low prisoners, their spirits revived by the joy of having reached a 
place of water carriage, beheld “the waters of Lake Champlain 
from a neighboring eminence” on the ninth day of their arduous 
journey 


ein Ae 
y i 






iif 


ist Nata he Tak ; sy Meal 


; Fae tae 
F) rite as. | 
ied ; hy } ere. Tee ? rap ue rt Ait | 
r sis i ’ } 
' ; f , ae , i ‘ 
hi? ‘ ’ 


4 sherds. | ; ; ' ‘ Ai ty if) me Wry Solely 
} i ' fu) } Di Oi 
; F ; ; : TEP Ay dy i 
j Hara ty SUA Arcot al YS eats OD al MM inn 


‘ 19 Y CAT OU Nee BT ANC ME he chyba ri) 


A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 27 


squaws. My weakness obliged me to rest often, 
which gave my companions a poor opinion of me, 
but they showed no other resentment than calling 
me “NO GOOD SQUAW,” which was the only re- 
proach my sister ever gave when I displeased her. 

“One morning, my little son came running to me, 
his eyes swollen with tears, exclaiming that the 
Indians were going to carry him away into the 
woods to hunt; he threw his little arms around me, 
begging in the agony of grief that I would keep 
him. The keenness of my pangs almost obliged me 
to wish I never had been a mother. ‘Farewell, 
Sylvanus,’ said I, ‘God will preserve you.’ 

“In justice to the Indians, I ought to remark that 
they never treated me with cruelty to a wanton de- 
gree. Few people have survived a situation like 
mine and few have fallen into the hands of savages 
disposed to more lenity and patience. Modesty has 
ever been a characteristic of every savage tribe, a 
truth which my whole family will corroborate. Can 
it be said of civilized conquerors that in the main 
they are willing to share their last ration of food 
with their prisoners? Do they ever adopt an enemy 
and salute him by the tender name of brother? 

“In the early days of November, over sixty days 
since our captivity, Mr. Johnson wrote from Mont- 
real asking me to try to prevail on the Indians to 
carry me there to be sold, as he had made pro- 
vision for that purpose. The Indians agreed to this 
and on the eleventh day thereafter, I had _ the 
supreme satisfaction of meeting my husband, chil- 
dren and friends and I then learned that all my 
fellow prisoners had been purchased by respectable 


28 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


persons, by whom they were treated with humanity.” 

Thus in her own words, Mrs. Johnson told the 
tale of the capture of herself and family by the 
Indians and of her life with them until the time 
came for her to be delivered to the French in 
Montreal. ¥ 


RESIDENCE IN THE CRIMINAL JAILS 


All prisoners held for ransom in Canada at this 
time seem to have been treated alike in certain par- 
ticulars. It was customary for captives to be bought 
and taken into the houses of residents, where in some 
cases they were treated well, in others conditions 
must have been extremely difficult. The mere fact 
that it often involved the separation of various mem- 
bers of families could hardly fail to work hardship 
in many instances. 

Mrs. Johnson, her sister Miriam.and the baby were 
taken into the home of a French family by the name 
of DuQuesne. A place was found for Susanna with 
three maiden ladies, named Jaisson, and Polly was 
bought by the Mayor of the City. 

On November 12th, the day after their arrival in 
Montreal, a two months’ parole was granted James 
Johnson that he might return to New England 
and try to procure money to redeem his family. 
He went first to Boston to lay his case before the 
Governor. Governor Shirley referred it to the Gen- 
eral Assembly. After deliberation by that body, the 
sum of £10 was granted to defray his expenses, but 
no hope was held out of any further assistance. He 
was advised to apply to New Hampshire. This he 


A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 29 


did with more success, in that he was promised notes 
to the value of £150, and instructions were given him 
as to the way in which this money should be spent. 
He was told to go to Canada and to negotiate there 
in the best and most frugal manner possible the 
purchasing of as many captives as he might hear of 
that had been taken from any part of the province. 
Credentials were then given him by Governor Went- 
worth of New Hampshire, a passport was secured 
from Governor Shirley of Massachusetts, and every- 
thing seemed satisfactorily arranged for his return 
to Montreal. He had proceeded, however, only a 
short distance when»he received orders that he must 
not even make an attempt to go further as word 
had been received that an invasion by the French 
was imminent. 

In Montreal his failure to appear within the 
specified time was considered a breach of parole and 
an abuse of confidence. In consequence, the posi- 
tion of his family was seriously affected. They were 
looked at askance, assistance was withdrawn from 
them. It became necessary for Mrs. Johnson and 
Miriam to try to earn money to support themselves. 

Six months elapsed before permission was given 
Mr. Johnson to return to Canada. He was then 
ordered to proceed privately through Albany. He 
set out immediately and when he reached Albany, 
notes on certain individuals in Canada were given 
him. 

During his absence, conditions in Montreal had 
changed materially and on his arrival there, a new 
Governor refused to accept apologies for his breach 
of parole, his notes were protested and he was 


30 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


thrown into jail, where soon after orders were re- 
ceived for his removal to Quebec, and it was stipulat- 
ed that his wife and his two youngest daughters 
should accompany him. 

Before leaving Montreal, the baby was taken ill 
and the belief of many of the people was so strong 
that, if she were not baptized, she would either die 
or be carried off by the devil, that consent was given 
for the ceremony of baptism. According to the wish 
of Madame DuQuesne, the baby was named Louise 
for her and the baby’s mother added the name 
Captive; and it is by the latter name that this 
daughter is always mentioned. <A two days’ trip by 
boat carried the prisoners to Quebec, where they 
were taken directly to the jail and found there one 
of the inmates huddled in a corner half dead with 
small-pox. In due time, all except the baby came 
down with this disease and were removed to the 
hospital. On their recovery, they were at once sent 
back to the jail, which according to the accounts, 
must have been a dreadful place, dirty and infested 
with vermin. 

At the approach of winter, the one fire allowed 
each day proved slight defense from the severe 
Canadian frosts, especially as the iron grates gave 
free access to the sky. A quart basin was the only 
article allowed them in which to cook their food and 
it also had to serve as table furniture. At times 
they were able surreptitiously to send letters by 
placing them in an ash box, where they were taken 
by friends and Mrs. Johnson writes that they some- 
times diverted themselves by the use of Spanish 
cards, and that as Mr. Johnson was ignorant of the 


A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 31 


game, she took no inconsiderable pleasure in instruct- 
ing him. 

After being confined in this prison for five 
months, with the exception of the time spent in the 
hospital, there seemed to be no prospect of relief. 
Their jailer seemed like a veritable descendant of 
Pharoah, but he was finally persuaded to ask an 
influential man, a Mr. Perthieur, to come to see 
them. When Mr. Perthieur saw the conditions and 
heard about their sufferings, he was highly affronted 
with his countrymen for reducing them to such 
distress, and declared that the Lord Intendant him- 
self should call on them. The next day the Lord 
Intendant came and explained that although he him- 
self had no authority to release prisoners, he would 
convey a letter to the Governor which might have 
the desired effect. 

A letter was accordingly written which described 
the pitiful state of the prisoners and urged that 
measures be taken to improve their conditions. It 
also reminded His Excellency that Sylvanus was still 
held captive by the Indians and begged that steps 
be taken for his rescue. A request was also made 
that Miriam and Susanna be allowed to come to 
Quebec. 


THE CIVIL PRISON 


The letter was successful only in so far that 
orders were received for their removal to the new 
jail. Assurance was given that everything possible 
would be done to rescue Sylvanus, but little hope 
was given as to the outcome of such an attempt. 


32 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


Word was also sent of the well being of Miriam 
and Susanna. 

Soon after the receipt of this communication the 
prisoners were transferred to the new jail, called the 
Civil prison. This proved to be a great improve- 
ment over the old one. Here they found decent beds, 
candles, fuel and all the conveniences belonging to 
prisoners of war. The sum of 15 pence a day was 
allowed Mr. Johnson on account of a lieutenant’s 
commission which he held under George the Second 
and he was permitted to go into the city once 4 week 
to purchase necessaries. A washer woman was pro- 
vided for their use. They were no longer confined. 
to the narrow limits of a single room, but were re- 
strained only by the bounds of the jail yard. Mrs. 
Johnson wrote that their situation was such a con- 
trast to what had been endured in the gloomy crim- 
inal jail that they imagined themselves the favorites 
of fortune and in high life. 

In December 1756, two years after their capture, 
a son was born, who lived only a few hours and was 
buried under the cathedral church. Soon after a 
letter brought the news of the death of Moses Wil- 
lard, the father of Mrs. Johnson, and it also told of 
the wounding of her brother. This happened as 
they were mending a fence in Charlestown, just a 
few rods from the Main Street. They were fired on 
by Indians and Moses Willard was shot dead on the 
spot. 

These melancholy tidings in addition to all her 
other troubles affected Mrs. Johnson seriously. She 
was taken to the hospital, but in a month she was able 
to return to the prison and in May, Miriam was al- 





PHOTOGRAPH BY CLARA E, SIPPRELL 


MRS. JOHNSON’S RESTING PLACE 


In the shady Charlestown cemetery on a hill overlooking the town, 

which she first knew as No. 4, and the country which was the scene 

of the first stage of her amazing journey, Mrs. Johnson is buried 

next to her second husband, Colonel Hastings, and their four chil- 

dren who died in infancy. A picturesque row of flat, gray slate 

stones in the midst of the newer, more elaborate stones of marble 
and granite 


















WA he ‘A ks F elt Li if a 4 ite cr gui ; 
AN By) 1 Kf y : i + aie tes ‘| ne We H Ate H Wy Vyas 
Aes Hl : ih iy haba Bl hie tap blast oi tae 
ae | Re ah Ns ta | mys jis Hy iano 
aye te na ahey iy F i cu ine 
Ra a RR aN ai nue Mi Se Kt 
OANA NOR NA ONS i 


} 





( mat i Mek % Pot tk sa uy, ie iy ii ie ih ati 4 


ati Pohigen) ahs A as bh ighone 4! pe: tH (Gs 
f WTS 2s AN OTe vit, ayn) 
A iy y ‘ 


; i Maer: ee Ta 
r] ' Lee ARe Al g pe | eis De ip Pe ALPE | 





} ‘hdd My Pat) ie! sate a Sate 
Pye an ; Le Sree La I ere ia eee 
rm . . 
| ran i 
4 é iw » 
act sath aha } rirth, tu 
: 
f ‘ d 
! eed ; ib 4 ' / ‘ 
hy wy a 
i j 
, iy phi) ae 
y i 
; fa een ey 
; 
ti 





Mi i ieee heen a) PAT rks eV 
Bi FY AR tal CMPD iN VO be 


si TB aS Pa aii NR 1 


ay iA anid Py tet ee Fe 7 
. Dik A eek i gy iy pe ‘oe ere 
\ , n A ' 
ee Ae Le Te 
j ae A i ie 5 Ae. 
rut Rai tet fs ag : 
Bh tis 3 a Hy ON tat ! pi A ie Na AN 
‘ ' 
\ ' t vf BP jit | i hit 
a i fi Ms he Ee ai" 
t ' are iy 


ay ae ; ahs PRI? " 7 5 pe" 4 Ay Lien *,) bligie 
7 A RR Rs eb tg My 


ay ee ae 
taal fas a” 


hier 


A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 35 


lowed to join her sister. They had not seen each 
other for two years. Another attempt was then 
made to gain their liberty. The Lord Intendant was 
interviewed. He promised to lay their case before 
the Governor in Montreal and to give them an 
answer in seven days. At the expiration of that 
time, permission was granted them to leave the 
prison. Lodgings were taken in the town and when 
a few weeks later a Cartel ship arrived to carry 
prisoners to England for an exchange, an appeal 
was made to the Governor to ask that they be in- 
cluded among those who were to sail, and that Su- 
sanna be sent to Quebec to join her family. 

The Governor replied that he would consent to 
their going to England with the other prisoners. He 
also promised to send Susanna to Quebec by the first 
boat. But three days before the boat for England 
was due to sail, the ship arrived from Montreal with- 
out Susanna, and at the same time counter orders 
were received to the effect that Mr. Johnson must 
be retained a prisoner. 

A solemn council of all the prisoners was held to 
determine what should be done. It was decided that 
Mrs. Johnson should sail with her sister and the two 
little girls, even though it meant leaving her hus- 
band behind, a prisoner. Sylvanus was still with the 
Indians, and Susanna in Montreal. It was there- 
fore, with mixed feelings that they set sail July 
20th, 1757. 


VOYAGES TO ENGLAND AND NEW YORK 


On the boat they were treated with great con- 
sideration. Accommodations were provided for them 


36 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


with the family of the captain, and a boy was as- 
signed to them for their especial use. 

In just a month’s time the boat dropped anchor 
at Plymouth and all the passengers were taken off 
except Mrs. Johnson, Miriam and the two little girls. 
For a day and a half they did not know 
what was to be their fate. They seemed to have 
been forgotten. At length an officer came on board 
to see if everything was in readiness for the French 
prisoners who were to be transported to Canada. 
When he discovered the four passengers that had 
been left on board, an explanation was made and he 
took them ashore. The Admiral was consulted. 
Lodgings were procured, and the King’s allowance 
of two shillings a day was granted them for main- 
tenance. 

A fortnight was spent by them in Plymouth, 
where they attracted a great deal of attention and 
many questions were asked concerning the suffer- 
ings they had undergone. 

Captain Mason, a fellow lodger, appealed in their 
behalf to the agents for New Hampshire with of- 
fices in London. Arrangements were made by these 
offices to send the four to Portsmouth, there to 
sail on a packet boat bound for America. They ac- 
cordingly set forth and arrived in Portsmouth, but 
it was only to find the packet boat gone. 

Lodgings were taken in Portsmouth until such 
time as another boat should sail. In a few days 
word was received that the man-of-war Orange 
would be ready to sail within three hours. All pos- 
sible haste was made but when they reached the 
shore they discovered that the Orange was too far 


A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 37 


underway to be recalled. At this moment a ship 
was seen in the near distance weighing anchor. It 
was found to be one of the fleet bound for America. 
A longshoreman was pressed into service. He hes- 
itated only long enough to pronounce a volley of 
oaths and then consented to row them out to the 
boat. As they came alongside the captain flew in- 
to a rage and said he would have none of them on 
his vessel. Fortunately for them the purser was 
on hand with his list of passengers booked for 
America. As soon as their names were discovered 
to be on the list, the captain apologized and took 
them aboard. 

A fair wind brought them to Cork where a stay 
of two weeks was made to take on provisions, and 
the latter part of October the homeward voyage 
began. After a smooth passage of seven weeks they 
dropped another at Sandy Hook on December tenth, 
1757, and the day following landed in their native 
country after an absence of three years, three months 
and seven days. 

In New York the Mayor had provided lodging 
for them and there was great rejoicing when infor- 
mation was received that Mr. Johnson had been re- 
leased and was even then on his way back by boat 
to Halifax, and that Sylvanus had been redeemed 
from the Indians for the sum of 500 livres. 

Ten days were spent in New York but there is no 
record of their doings during that time. Their next 
move was by boat to New Haven. There they met 
a number of officers who had been stationed in 
Charlestown the preceding summer and could there- 
fore report on conditions in that region and also 


38 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


tell them about relatives and friends. Some of the 
officers offered to escort the travelers as they set 
forth on their journey home through Springfield. 

Mr. Johnson had by this time arrived in Boston 
and had at once started for Charlestown. When 
within fifteen miles of Springfield he was told that 
his wife was in that town. He therefore hastened 
there by sleigh and at two A. M. January first, 
1758, he and his wife were reunited. 

In a few days it was deemed advisable for him 
to go to New York to adjust his Canada accounts. 
It was on this journey that he was persuaded by 
Governor Pownal to take a captain’s commission 
and join the forces bound for Ticonderoga. He was 
killed that same year in battle on July 8th, 1758. 
A fellow officer said of him that he was universally 
beloved by his company, that he was the soldiers’ 
friend, and a friend to his country; that he had 
easy manners, was pleasant, good-humored, yet strict 
to obey orders, a valuable member of society, a 
faithful and valiant soldier. 

In October, about three months later, informa- 
tion was received that Sylvanus had been brought to 
Northampton by Major Putnam and that he was 
sick with scald. He was found to be in a miserable 
condition after his experiences of three years with 
the Indians and one year with the French. He had 
at first no recollection of his family and during his 
absence he had entirely forgotten the English 
language. He could speak a little broken French. 
The Indian dialect, he spoke with ease. He knew 
how to brandish a tomahawk and bend a bow. 

For a year Mrs. Johnson lived in Lancaster. It was 





PHOTOGRAPH BY CLARA E, SIPPRELL 


THE JOHNSON MONUMENTS AS SEEN TO-DAY 


The two stones executed under the direction of Mrs. Johnson were 
placed together on the spot intended for the larger one alone, 
namely, where the Indians encamped on the first night of the jour- 
ney. Describing her last visit to this place in 1808 Mrs. Johnson 
wrote: “It was then a dreary wilderness, now the wilderness was 
turned into fruitful fields dressed in verdure, which richly repaid the 
labors of the husbandman.” Now nothing beside the old stones 
set into protective granite is left to remind one that the peacefully 
pastoral country around was once “a howling wild”, haunted by 
savage Indians 









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pee hat 4 


A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 41 


deemed safe for her to return to Charlestown in 
October 1759. Conditions however could not have 
been very stable there, for the very next summer 
Joseph Willard, who lived only two miles away, 
was captured by the Indians with his wife and five 
children and carried to Montreal. They arrived 
there only a few days before the French surrend- 
ered it to the English. When they returned to 
Charlestown, after an absence of about four months, 
they brought Susanna with them. She had been 
with the three maiden ladies, the Jaissons, for five 
years. They had treated her as their own. Their 
principal care had been to give her the accomplish- 
ments of a polite education. Susanna loved them 
dearly. She had forgotten her family and spoke 
nothing but French. 


THE HISTORY ENDS 


In Charlestown Mrs. Johnson had inherited a 
house from hei mother, and this became her home; 
and to help support her family, she and her brother 
went into partnership and kept a small store. The 
general assembly of New Hampshire granted her 
forty-two pounds as indemnity for losses sustained 
in the war. 

Much delay and perplexity were occasioned in 
the settlement of Mr. Johnson’s estate. It would 
seem as if in those early days the processes of law 
might have been comparatively simple, but such 
does not seem to have been the case, for in order 
to arrive at a settlement, the widow had to take 
three journeys to Portsmouth, fourteen to Boston, 
and three to Springfield; and this was no easy task, 


42 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


for the roads were rough and the means of travel 
primitive. 

Three years after the death of her husband, 
Mrs, Johnson, who was then thirty-two years old, 
married Mr. John Hastings. He had been one of 
the early settlers. She writes that she remembered 
having seen him on her first visit to Charlestown 
when she was fourteen years old. 

Of the remaining forty-nine years of her life, 
Mrs. Johnson wrote little. She told that her hus- 
band lived on for forty-two years and that they 
had seven children five of whom died at infancy; 
one of their daughters lived to be twenty-two years 
old, the other married a man who proved to be a 
sore trial to his mother-in-law. She tells about 
two accidents that she had, one when her horse was 
frightened by a boy wheeling a load of flax in 
Charlestown. She was thrown and the violence of 
the fall was so great, together with a wound in 
her forehead, that she was taken up for dead. She 
told how a neighbor, Mrs. Page, sewed up the cut 
in her forehead and that she recovered her strength 
as soon as could be expected. 

Another time, when she was driving, the harness 
slipped, the horses became terrified, the wagon was 
overturned, she was dragged, her ankle was broken 
and the bone very much shattered. She was car- 
ried on a bier to the home of her daughter Captive, 
where for several weeks she suffered excruciating 
pain. She wrote that when she was laid on the 
bier, it brought fresh to her mind the bier that 
the Indians had made for her after the birth of 
her daughter Captive. 


A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 43 


In writing about Sylvanus no mention was made 
of his marrying. He is spoken of as living on in 
Charlestown. 

She told that Susanna married Captain Samuel 
Wetherbee, and in gratitude and affection for all 
that the Jaisson ladies had done for her when she 
was a little girl in Montreal, she named one of her 
sons Jason, and it was this boy, Jason Weatherbee, 
who was the great-grandfather of the writer of this 
paper. To complete the genealogy it should be stated 
that Jason Weatherbee married Sophia Farwell. 
Sophia Weatherbee married Oel Billings. His son, 
Frederick Billings, was the father of the writer. 

Both Polly and Captive married happily. There 
seems to have been an especial bond between Cap- 
tive and her mother. For forty years they cele- 
brated the anniversary of her birth and in after 
years when Captive had moved away to Canada, 
the day never passed unnoticed by either mother or 
daughter. 

In closing the account of her life, Mrs. Johnson 
mentioned with pride her thirty-eight grand- 
children, and twenty-eight great-grand children. She 
noted that in their family instances of longevity 
were remarkable; that her mother, before her death 
had been able to say to her daughter, “Arise my 
daughter, and go to thy daughter, for thy daugh- 
ter’s daughter has got a daughter.” 

In November, 1810, Mrs. Johnson died. She had 
lived to be eighty-one years old. Only a few weeks 
before her death she had revised the manuscript of 
the book which she called “The Captivity of Mrs. 
Johnson.” 


44 A NEW ENGLAND PIONEER 


Near the town of Reading, Vermont, two stones 
stand by the side of the road. On one of them is 
inscribed “This is near the spot that the Indians 
encamped the night before they took Mr. Johnson 
and family, Mr. Labaree and Farnsworth, August 
30th, 1754, and Mrs. Johnson was delivered of a 
child half a mile up this brook.” 

On the other smaller stone which originally stood 
a short distance away: ‘On the 31st of August 1754 
Capt. James Johnson had a daughter born on this 
spot of ground being captivated with his whole 
family by the Indians.” 


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